Some of the most troubling relationships involve middle-aged persons and their older parents — parents who still think that they own the child. Philosopher/Poet Kahlil Gibran has written of this in his work called “The Prophet.” His words beautifully capture the Biblical concept of our close relationships:
We said to the prophet, “Speak to us of children.” And he said to us, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. Your children come through you but they are not yours. Though they are with you, yet they do not belong to you. You may give your children your love, but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit even in your dreams. You may strive to be like your children but do not strive to make them like you, for life does not…
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